What Is the Course of Bipolar Disorder?

Episodes of mania and depression typically recur across the life span. Between episodes, most people with bipolar disorder are free of symptoms, but as many as one-third of people have some residual symptoms. A small percentage of people experience chronic unremitting symptoms despite treatment.4

The classic form of the illness, which involves recurrent episodes of mania and depression, is called bipolar I disorder. Some people, however, never develop severe mania but instead experience milder episodes of hypomania that alternate with depression; this form of the illness is called bipolar II disorder. When four or more episodes of illness occur within a 12-month period, a person is said to have rapid-cycling bipolar disorder. Some people experience multiple episodes within a single week, or even within a single day. Rapid cycling tends to develop later in the course of illness and is more common among women than among men.

People with bipolar disorder can lead healthy and productive lives when the illness is effectively treated (see below-"How Is Bipolar Disorder Treated?"). Without treatment, however, the natural course of bipolar disorder tends to worsen. Over time a person may suffer more frequent (more rapid-cycling) and more severe manic and depressive episodes than those experienced when the illness first appeared.5 But in most cases, proper treatment can help reduce the frequency and severity of episodes and can help people with bipolar disorder maintain good quality of life.

References

4Hyman SE, Rudorfer MV. Depressive and bipolar mood disorders. In: Dale DC, Federman DD, eds. Scientific American®; Medicine. Vol. 3. New York: Healtheon/WebMD Corp., 2000; Sect. 13, Subsect. II, p. 1.

5Goodwin FK, Jamison KR. Manic-depressive illness. New York: Oxford University Press, 1990.

This article has been provided by the National Institute of Mental Health, 04/09/2004

This Week's Bipolar News

Bipolar support group forming
Baytown Sun
According to the Texas Medical Center, 2.3 million American adults suffer from bipolar disorder, a mental condition characterized by manic highs and devastatingly depressive lows.

Stepdaughter defends man charged in bus stop death
Las Vegas Review - Journal
She said he's the primary caregiver of her mother, who suffers from bipolar disorders, and is a loving grandfather to his grandchildren. ...

Dear God: Wheat, Weeds, and Surrender
Beliefnet.com
And the best thought of all ... that I know I would be going to heaven soon, and in heaven there is no major depression or bipolar disorder or any other ...

When jail is the only place mentally ill inmates get treatment ...
Houston Chronicle
Of those on medication, 978 suffered from schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or a severe depressive-psychotic disorder. .Of the 978 with a major mental health ...

Police Say Fatal Shooting Was Justified
New York Times
His companion told the police that they met over the Internet, and that she later found out that he had bipolar disorder and had once tried to commit ...

Click here for all Bipolar News.

Featured Article:

TAKE ACTION!

I received an email from a person the other day. She asked me why so many great successful people, leaders, business people, etc. have Bipolar Disorder. I have long had a theory (but I don't have any kind of study to point to which would prove my theory). Here's what I think, though:

In order for you to start something, whatever it is: open a daycare center, write a book, build a website, go to college, discover the cure for cancer, create world peace â€“ you have to do something really important. Know what it is?

You have to TAKE ACTION!

Click here to read the entire article.

BipolarCentral
Your One Stop Source For Information On Bipolar Disorder